Lasik Eye Correction

How likely are you to need a "touch-up" procedure after a LASIK surgery?

Assuming after a healing period following surgery that you are in the area of 20/20, in good health, and previously suffered from mild to moderate near-sightness only? How often are touch-up's needed? Despite the relative newness of true Lasik technology, am I safe to assume 20+ years down the road most will not need it? Is paying the extra 1000 dollars for the lifetime touch-up plan a waste of money if all goes reasonably well the first surgery? (The company is Lasik Plus in case you are curious) Thanks.

Public Comments

1. Well, I had mine done 11 years ago, so I cannot say if the technology has improved, but I was very nearsighted and my eyesight is only deteriorating now and only insignificantly so and I would say it's just due to normal ageing. I'm in my forties.
2. 15%-20% A 1999 study published in the Jounral of Ophthalmology (1) found that somewhere between 14.6% and 19.2% of eyes treated with LASIK required touch-up (referred to as 'retreatment'.) This study was large - over 2000 patients. These patients required treatment of both eyes for myopia - near-sightedness, and it was a few years ago, so things might have changed. I think that this is probably a good estimate for you to work with. We know that if you don't need a touch-up within six months, you almost certainly won't need it after 11 years. (2) We don't know about longer periods than that. It terms of whether or not it is worth it, the answer is that the company selling the touch-up plan makes money - a lot of it. If they didn't, they wouldn't offer the plan. Don't waste your money - if you need a touch-up, it won't cost much over $1000 anyway.